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60 Years of Service

Can you imagine working for one company for 60 years? Art Dickerson can.

This year marks Chairman Dickerson’s 60th Company Anniversary . . . a true milestone in his career . . . and in the evolution of Southwestern Petroleum Corporation. It is difficult to talk for any length of time about Southwestern Petroleum without talking either directly or indirectly about the significant accomplishments of this man.

For 60 of the 79 years Southwestern Petroleum has existed, Art Dickerson has been a part of the company. And, for at least 54 of those 60 years, he has played a major role in charting the course of the company.

Through the decades, he has been involved in virtually every area of the company. From hiring and training of salesmen, to design and printing of literature, to product development and quality control, to sales projections and promotion, to strategic planning and market expansion. No department, job function or objective of any real significance has gone without his direct involvement.

For hundreds of Home Office staff members who have worked directly with him through the years, he has been a challenging leader, relentless in his pursuit of excellence. To countless sales people and distributors from every corner of the world, he has been a trainer, a teacher and an inspiration.

For 60 years he has provided Southwestern Petroleum with the vision and leadership necessary to grow and prosper. Today, the company bears his mark. That mark is indelible and unmistakably Art Dickerson.

Ask any of the people who work with him on a daily basis and they will tell you he is demanding. He is a perfectionist. He is intolerant of carelessness or neglect in any aspect of the company. His ultimate goal is excellence in everything Southwestern does; and the quest continues every minute of every day.

At the same time, he is personable, inspiring and leads by example. He is a tireless worker, demanding more of himself than he demands of others. He is involved in every detail at every level. Nothing is too small a detail to undergo his review and evaluation.

Why does he do it? “I love it. I enjoy being able to contribute to the success of other people on a daily basis. I love the challenges and I have a deeply rooted love of sales and everything that goes along with it. I sincerely believe that salesmen are just as important to society as brain surgeons. It is through salesmen that people learn about the products that can improve the quality of life. Salesmen help people. And I love helping salesmen.”

Art is outspokenly proud of the reputation Southwestern has today. “We are, indeed, a hard working company, but I think, more than anything, I am proud of the image we have among salesmen, employees, customers and competitors as an honest, ethical company. We are a good company. And I can’t tell you how proud I feel when I say that.”

Chairman Dickerson’s focus now, as it has been for 60 years, is on the future of Southwestern Petroleum. And his vision of the future is a bright one.

If Southwestern Petroleum is nothing else, it is a truly unique company. That uniqueness is due in great measure to the enduring contributions of Chairman Art Dickerson.